October 26, 2018

West Coast Weather

We have been fortunate enough to have some beautiful autumn weather, but the days are cooling off and and the rain has started. Here at Wix-Brown we are headed outdoors for regular fresh air and exercise no matter what Mother Nature brings our way. The exception to this rule will only be a thunder and lightening storm. What we need from you is:

ALL STUDENTS are to have inside runners (velcro, slip-on or laces) to put on when coming in from outside.

We HIGHLY recommend that all students keep a change of clothes at school (or in their backpacks) at all times.

We strongly recommend that all students are sent to school with ‘all kinds of weather’ in mind – which means proper foot wear and coat wear. Students will be headed outside whether they remember a coat or not.

Students will only be allowed to stay inside if they have a note from their doctor. If your child is too sick to head outside, they are too sick to be at school.

Student Recognition

We had record breaking numbers in terms of student participation in this year’s cross country team. Today we recognized the tremendous effort from these students and thanked them for doing such a good job of representing our school.

In addition to recognizing athletic performance, we also recognized classroom performance. Each month teachers select students that have demonstrated growth in the classroom. The B.E.A.R.S acronym outlines the values upheld here at Wix-Brown and is reflected in the rationale behind each award. Today students were recognized for things like making positive choices in the classroom, always trying their best and persevering through difficult tasks. It was a great afternoon of celebrating student success.

Crazy sock Day

Our grade sevens have continued planning fun, engaging theme days. Thursday, October 25th was Crazy Sock Day. Several of the students out did themselves with their creative versions of socks.

Parent Teacher Interviews

This past Wednesday and Thursday were Parent/Teacher Interviews. It was a golden opportunity to communicate with families how things are going here at school. If you were unable to meet with the teachers during this time please make sure you connect with them and set up a time for you to meet. Communication between school and home is essential in student success.

Temporary teachers

This has been a challenging beginning for two of our classrooms. We still have not been able to find anyone permanent for these classrooms; however we are fortunate enough to have teachers from the school board office placed in these classrooms until someone permanent is found. These teachers are leaders within our district and bring an incredible level of skill and wisdom to their teaching. They are working hard to set up routines and structures for classroom operations, provide consistent delivery of the curriculum, and assess the students as they go.

Coghlan Reading Workshop For Parents

Research has consistently proven that parent involvement increases student achievement in school. Students whose parents are involved in their education, especially their early literacy development, are more motivated to read, demonstrate a greater self-efficacy as readers and voluntarily participate in literacy activities more often. These students are more inherently interested in learning and they experience higher perceived competence, as well as exhibit more effort, concentration and attention.

In order to assist parents in supporting their child, we are offering, as a family of schools, a three-session workshop that we are strongly encouraging parents with children in Kindergarten to Grade 2 to attend. If you would like to participate in this program, you would be expected to attend all three Parent Information Evenings at Coghlan Fundamental Elementary where we will work together to develop an increased understanding of how to support your child’s development as strategic readers and word detectives. In the weeks between sessions, you will be expected to read daily with your child and support their reading development by using the prompts and strategies that we will discuss.

Child minding will be provided (Please let me know if you require childminding in your RSVP so I will have enough caregivers available)

If you would like to participate in this program, please RSVP to the principal of Coghlan by email at cgracie@sd35.bc.ca by October 26th

Anxiety Workshop for Poppy Family of Schools

Understanding and Healing Anxiety: Validating Your Brain

This workshop dives deep into the brain to explore the biology of the threat response, commonly known as anxiety. Learning to identify anxiety in it’s various presentations, what is going on within the brain during experiences that lead to healthy or unhealthy coping, and specific interventions designed to help individuals not only calm down, but lower their baseline level of anxiety. Though the topic is serious, it is presented in a relatable and humorous way, with relatable experiences and perspective.

Speaker: Ted Leavitt M.Sc., RCC, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, working in private practice in Abbotsford BC and also as Program Manager for Langley Youth and Family Services. Ted specializes in impulse control problems including aggressive behavior, anxiety, ADHD, and addictive behavior, as well as attachment trauma. Ted is a very accomplished and sought-after public speaker, presenting on a variety of topics in a very informative and entertaining way. Speaking with groups as diverse as CEOs and grade four classrooms, training teachers and school staff, and educating parents on issues related to parenting and childhood mental health, Ted’s wide range of experience allows him to relate to any group that he meets with.

Date: Thursday, November 22, 2018

Time: 6:30 -8:30pm

Where: Peterson Road Elementary gym

Attendance is free but please register here for planning purposes by Wednesday, November 21st . Click the link.

Action Plan For Learning

We continue to make progress with our school’s Action Plan For Learning. With the assistance of Ms. Burns we conducted a school wide write.The purpose of this activity was to establish a baseline
of achievement so we are able to measure our progress at the end of the year. When all classes were finished writing we spent some time marking together as a staff. Marking collaboratively is proven to positively impact student success; it ensures fairness, consistency and common knowledge. If you are interested in reading about the benefits of collaborative marking click this LINK.

All classrooms are working towards improving our students’ literacy skills. One of the strategies used by teachers is to get students to “Read to Self.” This allows students to choose a book they prefer and read quietly while the teacher spends some time instructing small groups. This process requires reading stamina and takes practice. Some of our classes have set goals and decided on what they would like as a reward for being successful…I need to buy some dancing shoes for this one!